Of Scars and Love
by Me262
Summary: A series of vignettes tracking the relationship and family of Jacen Solo and Nen Yim. Post NJO AU. JNY.
1. Blanket

Series Title: **_Of Scars and Love_**

Rating: T and less, probably not more

Authors: Vongchild and Me262/DevBinks

Summary: Tracking the relationship and family of Jacen Solo and Nen Yim.

**Blankets**

Shielding her eyes from the morning sunlight streaming through the bedroom window, Nen Yim took the covers back and gave the man next to her a playful kick. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she was not surprised when only moments later she felt a tug. Laughing, the former Shaper pulled it tighter and glanced over her shoulder at Jacen Solo.

"No fair," he pointed out. "I might sleep like a log, but I don't purposely hold the sheets closer than a Hutt holds its money."

Grinning devilishly, Nen Yim scooted away from him. "I'm keeping them," she informed him. "If you want the blankets, you'll have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands."

"For all I know you've got your claws stuck in them," Jacen replied, reaching for the corner of the blanket.

"Never. I happen to like these sheets."

The chrono alarm went off. Nen Yim tucked her head into her arms and tried to ignore it. After ten seconds of the horrid noise, Jacen asked, "Why haven't you turned that thing off?"

Glancing around and fidgeting a bit, Nen Yim realized the horrible truth. "I'm stuck!" she exclaimed. Sighing, Jacen leaned over her and shut off the alarm. Then he got up and stood over Nen Yim, perfectly amused with her predicament and grinning like a fool.

"I could leave you here," he stated. "You'd be stuck here all day until someone called and then they would just think you were out. Tahiri might come by later-"

"Did we ever thank her for introducing us?"

"Come to think of it, no." And without so much of a warning, Jacen grabbed the edge of the sheet and tugged, sending Nen Yim spinning across the mattress.

"I love you, Jeedai," she hissed, collecting her self-composure, "But that was a low blow."

"Remember how we met?" Jacen asked, helping her up. Nen Yim's eyes sparkled just thinking about it.

"I couldn't possibly forget," she answered jovially. "I'd just gotten out of the bacta tank, recovering from a blunt head injury, and Tahiri told me she had an old friend she thought I should meet." Taking the ball of blankets from Jacen, she began to spread them over the sleepcouch. "It was weird at first."

"I'm a Jedi and you're a Yuuzhan Vong shaper," Jacen interjected. "We're a perfect match."

"Naturally, and I was going to get to that," Nen Yim replied, grinning. Jacen paused for a moment, reflecting on how the purple-blue ink on her cheeks glittered in the morning sunlight. In three years, he'd never noticed the glittering before. Nen Yim noticed his gaze. Pausing in her work straightening the blanket, she gave him a questioning look. "What?"

His only reply was to kiss her. When they broke apart, Nen Yim was grinning. She knew how Jacen's mind worked before eight o'clock Coruscant Standard time – the exact way her own mind worked. The first priority was to steal the blankets, the second was to get ten more minutes of sleep, and the third was to be the one who didn't have to fight with the caf dispenser.

"Oh, I get it."

Jacen leant down and balled up the blankets, holding them to his chest. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed.

"Give those back! I just made the sleepcouch."

"You'll have them back over my cold, dead body," Jacen replied flirtatiously.

"Want to take me up on that offer?"

"Any time, dearest. Any time."

**_Author's Note/explanation:_** This is a new ship about Jacen Solo and Nen Yim, obviously an AU about their lives post-NJO since Nen Yim dies in it. These are posted both here and on TFN. We will be posting one new one every Sunday. Oh and would you please tell us what you think of this 'ship.


	2. News

**News**

The two beings walked through the crowded thorough fair, ignoring the scathing glares directed at them.

"I wish they would not give us these looks." Nen Yim said quietly to the human male next to her. "It is like they have never seen a Yuuzhan Vong before."

"Oh it's not that." Jacen said in response. "They just don't like the idea of a Yuuzhan Vong and a human together. I feel like we're on Bastion." He then pointed towards a small café and the two entered and retreated to one of the tables near the rear.

"I will never understand why a galaxy with so many species is so against inter-species relationships," Nen Yim admitted. Their conversation paused as they both ordered.

"It's just one of those things that is in the nature of most beings." Jacen sighed. "Oh did you notice the article about us in the tabloids this morning?"

"No, what was it?"

"Apparently our entire relationship consists of you whipping me and me being submissive as a dead Gundark." Jacen laughed.

"Fools, don't they realize it's the exact opposite?" Nen Yim joked in response. "I wonder what they will say when we reveal the news."

"It's not like you to worry."

"It's not me I am worried about. It's you, and your sister." Nen Yim drank her tea. It was one of the few things she would willingly drink. Too many of the other drinks popular to the natives of the galaxy were filled with artificial ingredients. "People do not enjoy their government officials having children with former enemies."

"Who said I would continue my career? They already don't like me because I'm a Jedi, and if worst comes to worst I would just fall back on my Uncle, he would always welcome more of us."

"But you enjoy the Senate, bringing some sense to the leaders of the galaxy." Nen Yim smiled slightly. "Imagine if the other fleet was to arrive."

"Other fleet?" Jacen said his face draining of color, but it quickly returned when Nen Yim broke into a smile.

"You humans are so easily fooled." She her smile grew. "We do need to tell people. Better they find out when and how we want them to know, than for it to - what is the term? - leak."

"I guess, but I doubt Jaina is going to take it too well either. Most of her adult life has been spent hunting down Yuuzhan Vong, during the war and clean up operations." Jacen drummed his fingers on the table pensively. "It took her long enough to come to terms with us."

"I am still amazed the tabloids will not leave us alone." Nen Yim said, also pensive. "With all of the drama and scandal going on with the holodrama stars and with your politicians, it's amazing, their single mindedness."

"I think it has to do more with the fact you're so beautiful, anything else pails in comparison."

"And you wonder why I am pregnant." Nen Yim stood up. "Come on, we should meet with Tahiri. Remember, it was the original purpose of this outing, to thank her, and to tell her."

"Well it's not my fault I get distracted easily. First with the blankets, then the refresher…" Jacen winked at her before paying and following her out of the café.


	3. Space

**Space**

"Jacen, I'm nearly certain that this building breaks five building codes, six sanitation ordinances, and three fire-safety laws," Nen Yim said, looking distastefully at the cracked duracrete floors and dripping exposed pipes. A hunchbacked old landlady hobbled ahead of them, showing them the building. Jacen looked extremely relieved.

"You don't like it, then?" he asked.

"It doesn't even look safe," she replied.

"Then we can leave?"

"I'll race you to the door," Nen Yim answered quite frankly.

"Ma'am?" Jacen called to the landlady. The woman grunted and turned around. "That'll be enough. Thanks for your time."

"Then you don't want the flat?"

"No, it just doesn't suit our needs," Jacen replied.

The couple breathed a collective sigh of relief once they were back on the street. "The building didn't collapse while we were in it," Nen Yim mused, "I guess that's a good omen. Where next?"

Jacen took a folded piece of newsflimsy out of his pocket and looked at it. "Someone's showing a flat on the other side of town. It's a good neighborhood. Nice school district –

Nen Yim cut him off. "Schools? We're looking for an apartment, not scouting out the greater Coronet metropolitan area like we'll be living there for twenty years."

"Okay. Two bedrooms, one 'fresher, fair sized food-prep area and common room," Jacen said, reading off the sheet.

"And what do you propose we need two bedrooms for?"

"Well," he replied, "Seeing as everything with one bedroom looks like an ill-maintained bantha stable, I thought that maybe getting somewhere a little larger wouldn't hurt." Nen Yim murmured an agreement and they made the walk to the hoverbus stop at the end of the block. Dodging glances as they got on, paid their fare, and sat down, Nen Yim struck up a conversation.

"So, who do you think actually rents those dung-heaps we just saw?" she asked.

"No one," Jacen replied, "Or else they wouldn't be for rent." They shared a laugh. All the apartments they had seen so far were what Nen Yim would consider a downgrade from their current quarters – a two-room apartment the size of a closet that had been Jacen's base of operations before their marriage a month ago. But it had quickly become evident that no matter how low the rent was, two-hundred square feet was not enough room for two sentient, adult beings, no matter how much they loved each other.

"The next stop is closest to the building," Jacen informed her. Looking out the viewscreen, Nen Yim noticed that this neighborhood was probably older than some of the ones they'd seen already. The buildings might have been duracrete, but they tried to look like stone, which won a few points in her aesthetics books, though her mind thought vaguely of the organic shelters on the worldship.

The hoverbus stopped. "Let's go see this place," Jacen said as they got off.

"The building doesn't look like it's falling down," observed Nen Yim as they walked up the steps and knocked. A human woman with frizzy orange hair poked her head out the door.

"You here to look at the apartment?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Jacen replied.

"Come in, then," the landlady said, opening the door. Nen Yim grinned at Jacen when she noticed that this building looked well maintained. "I'm Nuala Antilles, no relation to ithe/i Antilles, of course. It's a very common name around here. The apartment is on the third floor. Yes, we have stairs in here. Right this way, and you two are?"

"I'm Jacen, and this is my wife, Nen Yim." They reached the top of the first flight and detoured through the landing. Nen Yim saw two doors, painted crisp white and embossed with polished metal numerals.

"Just one more flight," Nuala said. They ascended the last set of stairs and she led them to a door marked "3B." Selecting a key from her ring, she unlocked it and led them in. "It's not much," she said, indicating the plain white walls and tiled floors. "There's carpet in the bedrooms." Opening a door on the right side of the hall before it widened into a main room, she indicated a small 'fresher unit with light blue tile on the floors and walls. "The water pressure is good most of the time." She continued into the main room. "Here's the all-purpose room. There's a food prep area sectioned off behind that counter and shelf, and," she said, turning to the left and pointing to a pair identical doors, "Two bedrooms. You only need one, but it's always good to have a spare. Some other people came through earlier, but they wanted someplace fancier in a building without kids on every floor. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Nen Yim assured her.

"This looks like a good place," Jacen stated. He and Nuala turned to negotiate a rent contract, leaving Nen Yim to contemplate the two rooms. A smile crossed her face.

"Nen?" Jacen asked, returning, "What do you think?"

"Two rooms, in a building with kids on every floor," she replied. "Someone's setting us up, don't you think?"

"Not at all," Jacen assured her.

**_A/N_ We just want to thank those people that reviewed, and we really do want yalls opinions on this 'ship.**


	4. Features

**Features**

Nen Yim stood in front of the mirror, look at the strange garb she wore. At least it was strange to her. To the other beings in the clothing store the dress was the least exotic thing ever seen, the archetype of average.

"You look uncomfortable." Jacen said from behind her, his head peaking over one of her shoulders. "It was the closest thing to Yuuzhan Vong clothing I could find."

"No, it is comfortable," to comfortable she thought. "It just looks strange on me."

Jacen was quiet for a moment. "Yes, it is a tad strange, maybe in a different color."

"No, it won't help." She brought her hand to her cheek and traced one of the tattoos that resided there. "It's my tattoos. They just don't fit."

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Jacen felt a pang of guilt, he had done this a lot, try to make Nen Yim more human, when he already knew it wouldn't work out. She enjoyed sticking out to much, being a Yuuzhan Vong; the only Yuuzhan Vong on Corellia.

"Really, that's only what I've been saying all day." Nen Yim smiled and changed into her Yuuzhan Vong clothing.

"Much better," Jacen kissed her quickly. "It brings out the asymmetry in your face."

"And here I thought you never noticed." Nen Yim said as she led Jacen out of the store.

"Oh I notice everything about you." Jacen smiled mischievously, "every little detail."

"I think all humans do." She looked Jacen over out of the corner of her eye. "Of course you are not that bad to look at, especially after Vergere. She made you so handsome. After she broke your nose a few times, and made that coral scare more prominent." Nen Yim traced the scare and then his nose. "You're comparable to any low ranking Yuuzhan Vong. And with a few more modifications, you could be as handsome as Tsavong Lah."

"What a goal, to look like the Yuuzhan Vong who destroyed Ithor." Jacen said slightly annoyed.

"Oh be quiet, like a man has never tried to destroy an entire planet. Need I remind you of your own grandfather?" This was a frequent conversation, the two comparing their own species' nature.

"But we've never gone for genocide." Jacen said raising a finger. "Well of other species."

"That's what I'm supposed to say."

"Nen, anybody else would have thought we were serious until that moment." He grinned. "You always ruin it."

"No, at your sister's welcome home party you were the one that couldn't help laughing."

_**A/N**_**: Sorry it took so long to update, but since I'm reposting this, I keep forgetting about it. My apologies to those who are anxious for it.**


	5. Principle

**Principle**

I think we forgot to put up a disclaimer, so this goes for all chapters, we do not own any of the characters in any of these chapters, except Eshaa, and a couple others. Any others are property of LucasArts.

"You two should have called!" Tahiri moaned, poking her head out the door of her apartment. "In! In! In! You're letting out the warm air!" Tahiri opened the door the rest of the way. "I'm sorry it's a mess." She said as Jacen and Nen Yim entered. "I had no clue you'd be coming and with my hours I've hardly had any time to clean."

"Tahiri," Jacen said as he and Nen Yim stepped inside, "It's like a sauna in here." Tahiri closed the door.

"It's the coldest winter on record and I'm from Tatooine. It's absolutely freezing out there. A warm apartment is my first line of defense against a cold," Tahiri said defensively, leading them into a cramped, cluttered sitting area. She pointed to a sofa that literally did not have a leg to stand on. "Sit down! Sit down!" Afraid to disagree, Nen Yim and Jacen sat. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, we got something on the way over," Nen Yim answered.

"I'm really sorry it's so gross in here," Tahiri admitted, picking her way around the miscellaneous belongings on the floor. "It's like a cave or a den or a nest of some sort-"

"Speaking of nests," began Jacen.

"But I just never get to clean! You'd think it would be easier to keep three tiny rooms clean, but of course it isn't and-"

"Tahiri," Jacen sighed.

"What?" She asked, sitting down in a chair across from them.

"You're forgiven. Our place is a bit of a disaster zone, too," Jacen informed her. "But really, about why we're here."

Tahiri smiled slyly. "I was beginning to wonder to what I owed the pleasure."

Seriously, as if it was a matter of life or death, Nen Yim asked. "What would you say to being 'Aunt Tahiri'?"

Tahiri looked very confused, and blinked several times, as if trying to turn a thought over. "Wait... What?"

"What did it sound like?" Nen Yim asked.

"An announcement of some sort... But I'm not sure I understand it. Has it already happened, or are you thinking ahead?" Tahiri asked, shifting in her chair.

Nen Yim and Jacen both smiled and nodded. "We found out a few days ago."

"Well, congratulations! I'd be honored. Have you told anyone else yet?"

"No," Nen Yim answered. "You are the first."

"We wanted to make sure someone was glad for us, just in case my parents tried to disown me," Jacen joked. "They've come close so many times."

"They'll be thrilled, I'm positive." Tahiri assured him. "I knew this would happen."

"How?" Nen Yim asked.

"The spare bedroom principle," explained Tahiri, as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. "You place a married, childless woman in a living space with a spare bedroom and she'll be pregnant before a year has passed."

Nen Yim glanced at Jacen. "Did you know about this?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"I'll bet your landlady did," Tahiri grinned.


	6. Telling

**Telling**

Jacen pressed the buzzer at his parents' home on the outskirts of Coronet City. C3P0 quickly answered the door leading Jacen and Nen Yim into the large house - manor really.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Master Jacen. How have you and Mistress Nen Yim been?" The golden protocol droid asked.

"Fine, wonderful even." Jacen answered taking Nen Yim's hand in his own. "We have good news for Mom and Dad."

"I am sure they will be happy to hear it. Mistress Jaina was here yesterday. She told them some disappointing news. Her orders came in yesterday and she is reporting to the Outer Rim fleet in two weeks for the next year and a half."

"Jacen!" Leia said coming out of the kitchen. She hugged him. "Nen Yim," she said curtly. "What are you two doing here?"

"We have news for you and Dad." Jacen said smiling. "Where is he?"

"Talking to Tarc, apparently he's doing a history report on the first Death Star, and is using Han as a source." Leia shook her head. "I already talked to him, though the only part I really saw was the detention levels."

"Wow, that has to make Dad feel old."

"Jacen, I think our news will too." Nen Yim said, smiling.

"What's so special about this news?" Leia asked giving the two a curious look.

"We want to tell the both of you at once."

"Oh alright." The three sat in the kitchen, waiting for Han. Nen Yim and Jacen politely picked at a bit of toxic substance Leia called food. After ten minutes of tense silence Han finally entered the kitchen.

"The next time Tarc asks me to help him with a history project I have to remember to have a datapad on the entire Civil War in front of me." Han shook his head. "I don't remember half the stuff he asked me questions on."

"Well, Dad, it was almost thirty years ago." Jacen joked.

"Stop it, you're making me feel old." Han sat down too. "So why are you two here? C3PO told me you two had news?"

"We do, and it will probably make you feel older, General Solo." Nen Yim said smiling. "You're going to be grandparents."

"WHAT!" Leia said shocked. "You're pregnant? Is it even possible?"

"Congratulations, my first grandkid." Han grinned. "And here I always thought Jaina would be the first with a kid." He ruffled Jacen's hair.

"Yes, it is possible." Nen Yim said. "And it is a she."

"How do you know already?" Han asked, he rubbed Leia's arm. She still seemed to be in shock.

"All Yuuzhan Vong females can tell whether their child is a male or a female." Nen Yim smiled.

"How is it possible? You're a Yuuzhan Vong!" Leia exclaimed, finally finding her voice.

"There is not much of a difference between humans and Yuuzhan Vong." Jacen said explaining the genetics of it to his mother. "Only one or two chromosomes, Same goes for every mammalian humanoid in the galaxy. We're lucky it's a girl, or it would be sterile."

"Oh." Leia thought for a second. "So will she look like a Yuuzhan Vong or a Human?"

"We won't know until she's born." Nen Yim answered.

"Well, regardless, we should celebrate." Han stood up and went into a cabinet; he brought out a bottle and three small snifters. He filled each glass halfway. "None for the pregnant woman, we don't want any problems."

"Of course not." Leia said softly.


	7. Meat

**Meat**

"Finally!" a familiar voice called. Jacen tried to look innocent. "Jeez, and only half an hour late, too."

"That must be a new record," Jacen replied. "Hello, Tahiri."

"I thought you'd gotten cold feet or something," the blond woman stated. "It's not nice to keep a lady waiting."

"Funny," Jacen replied, "I don't see any."

"I didn't mean me, dummy. Your date's already inside. Someone had to take the reservation or they'd give up the table." She reached forwards and straightened his tie. "Honestly, Jacen. You're twenty-two years old, a Jedi knight, and you can't even keep yourself from looking like a scruffy mongrel. What gives?"

Jacen shrugged. "I get it from my father," he said plainly. Tahiri groaned.

"Forget it. I'm keeping you from getting to your dinner. She's gonna think we're both dead."

"Just curious, but who is ishe/i?" Jacen asked. Tahiri rolled her eyes.

"You'll find out when you meet her!" she exclaimed. "Okay, so here's the really important stuff. She's in booth three and she's wearing a green dress."

"Can you tell me anything else about her?" Jacen asked as Tahiri began pushing him towards the door.

"She's got a great personality!" Tahiri answered with a grin, shoving him through the door.

"Tahiri, wait—

Jacen spun around and looked through the restaurant. A very bad feeling was chewing on the back of his head as he focused his eyes on booth three and the woman sitting at it.

"Oh shavit," he murmured.

"Sir," the manager said, "Are you looking for someone?"

"Is there any other booth three?" he asked.

"That's a silly question," the manager, a teenaged human girl with long brown hair said. "Of course there isn't." She paused. "Are you supposed to be meeting someone here?"

"Yes, but…"

"You do know it isn't very nice to keep a lady waiting, right?" The manager asked.

"Yes, I've been informed of that," Jacen replied irritably.

"She's been here a good half hour waiting for you."

"Yes, I've been informed of that, too," Jacen sighed.

"Good then. You go sit down and I'll get someone to take your orders." Her heels clicking across the polished fake-wood floors, she ushered Jacen over to booth three and then headed back to the front desk. Swallowing hard, Jacen sat down. With great difficulty, he attempted to maintain eye contact. Difficulty because, for one thing, until about six months ago his first response to this woman would have been to shoot first and ask questions later. For another, though her eyes were interesting, the tattoos on her face, neck, and collarbone were more interesting, especially the ones on her collarbone.

"I was starting to worry," she said, "That maybe you'd gotten in a speeder crash or something."

"Nope," Jacen said. "Unfortunately."

"I'm Nen Yim," she said.

"I'm going to kill Tahiri," Jacen replied.

"Yes, but I'd rather you didn't, she's helping me acclimate to your culture. Is it customary to state your homicidal thoughts after somebody gives you their name?"

Jacen felt incredibly silly as he introduced himself. That topic done with, he looked down at the menu. "Have you ever been here before?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"That makes two of us. The pasta looks good," he said.

"Nerf steak is always a safe bet," she replied.

"Not when my mother cooks it," Jacen intoned. "Have you ever eaten something that growled at you?"

"Yes," Nen Yim answered flatly. "But I was under the impression that nerf steak was supposed to be …how should I put it… dead?"

"It is. My mother's cooking resembles alchemy sometimes."

"Oh. Sounds like my mother's cooking. Now there's something to give you nightmares."

"I wonder if they've met?"

"Oh. Probably not."

"Have you decided on your orders yet?" the waiter asked, approaching.

"Nerf steak for two," Jacen answered.

"Make sure it's dead," added Nen Yim.


	8. Names

**Names**

"Padmé."

"Too common," Nen Yim replied, scowling.

"I beg your pardon, but that was my grandmother's name," said Jacen defensively.

"And I'm saying that if I had a credit for every child named Padmé, neither of us would have to work again," she explained. "How about... hmm... Teyva?"

"What's that mean?"

"Glistening shard... In Jawa."

"And I'm thinking no, Jawas scare me." Jacen replied, sighing and looking up from the datapad in front of him. Nen Yim met his gaze. "Nen, why is this so hard?"

Nen Yim shrugged. "No one said it was easy." She looked down at the book she had been perusing. "Cate?"

"Can you pronounce that without thinking about it?" Jacen asked, also going back to his research. After a moment of quiet browsing, he looked up and said brightly, "I think I'll call my parents." Nen Yim placed a hand on his.

"No," she said. "That's admitting defeat. I'm sure your mother is sitting by the comm. anxiously waiting for it to ring. Just twenty more minutes, please?" She gave him a pleading look, as if her very pride was on the line. Jacen sighed and then smiled.

"Okay, you win. Twenty minutes."

Nen Yim leaned back in her chair and placed a hand absently on her abdomen. "Now if only I could think of something."

"How about Cem?" Jacen asked. Nen Yim scowled.

"That's a male name," she pointed out.

"Well, what if it's a boy?" Jacen asked.

"It's not," Nen Yim replied. When Jacen attempted to argue, she cut him off. "Don't argue medicine with a Shaper. Not only will you lose, but she'll make you look like an imbecile." She grinned and began looking at the book of names again. "The problem with this book is it only has common names…" she sighed.

"A common name; now that would be a tragedy," Jacen teased.

"So would any name recommended by you mother. We both know she has horrible taste in names." A small chuckle escaped her. "Eshaa," she said, barely more that a whisper.

"What?"

"Eshaa," Nen Yim explained. "It's an old Yuuzhan Vong name. It hasn't gotten mainstream use in centuries. It means 'Good fortune.'"

"Eshaa Solo," Jacen said, testing it out. "It sounds good, doesn't it?" Nen Yim nodded.

"So that's it?" she asked.

"Well, do we both agree?"

"Yes," Nen Yim said, dropping her hand to her abdomen a second time. A tiny foot lashed out and she smiled a little.

"Then that's it. Eshaa."


	9. Safe

**Safe**

Eshaa looked over her shoulder and silently cursed whatever divine beings had given her luck. She was going to kill Telly, first he promised her that CorSec stayed away from the area, and then he promised her that he would distract the CorSec officer, and finally, upon the CorSec asking for ID he ran away. Eshaa was going to kill Telly, slowly.

Eshaa walked away quickly, glancing back every few seconds. After walking two blocks she was able to turn onto Treasure Ship Row. Home free, or so she thought.

"Where do you think you're going?" A stern feminine voice asked.

Eshaa, glanced around quickly searching for some way to get lost in the crowd, but the only options were tapcafs and seedy bars that would be just as bad. One of the garish signs caught her eye, but it turned out the holo-arcade it advertised was closed. Realizing she was out of options she slowly turned around, and grinned as she had seen her father do many a time when caught by his wife doing something Nen Yim didn't like. "Hallo, Aunty Tahiri."

"Eshaa, what are you doing here? It's after midnight, you know the law." Tahiri said resting a hand on the stun-cuff pouch that rested on her belt. "I may be smuggling division, but I can still arrest you for breaking the public curfew."

"Tahiri!" A joyful voice said from behind Eshaa. "Thanks for finding Eshaa, I thought she had gotten kidnapped or something." Jaina said resting a hand on Eshaa's shoulder and squeezing it sharply, Eshaa had to resist the urge to squirm. "You owe me kid." She whispered quietly into her ear.

"Jaina, what are you doing here?" Tahiri's demeanor changed suddenly, it went from the stern, smuggler catching Jedi turned CorSec detective, to caring aunt and old friend. "Eshaa didn't tell me you were here."

"Yeah, of course I am, do you really think she'd be able to escape Jacen and Nen Yim? They wanted a night alone, so I decided to show her around Coronet City at night." Jaina winked. "She does need to learn how to deal with the unsavory elements. She is fifteen now." Jaina smiled. "Next year, she'll be wandering about here alone. And she can't be totally helpless."

"I would never be totally helpless, Aunt Jaina." Eshaa smiled impishly. "I always have my lightsaber or couffee, at least when Mom and Dad aren't taking away one or the other."

"Interesting, my ears just went deaf, I hope you weren't speaking about any illegal weapons you happen to own, Eshaa." Tahiri said smiling.

"You know we weren't, Aunty Tahiri." Eshaa said angelically.

"Well we should probably be getting her back home." Jaina said smiling. "Good-bye, Tahiri."

"Bye, Aunty Tahiri." Eshaa said happily.

"Tell your parents I will be there for dinner next week." Tahiri said turning and walking away.

"Eshaa, I'm only going to ask you one question." Jaina said in a tone the squadrons under her command had learned to fear.

"Yes?" Eshaa gulped and prayed to the gods that it wouldn't be what she thought it would be.

"What made you think it was a good idea to be out in Coronet City at night, wearing something that's barely even acceptable on Thyferra?" Jaina asked cocking an eyebrow while looking down at her niece.

Eshaa mentally cursed her aunt for asking the exact question she didn't want it to be. "Umm..." Eshaa's mind was working in overdrive. "Because I didn't think I'd get caught." Then she quickly added. "And I know that you were the one who broke the _Falcon'_s main control panel; during certain activities with Master Kyp last week."

"I don't tell your parents about this, you don't tell dad about that?" Jaina asked with a grin. "And just be glad Zeth is on Coruscant with his father, because if he was here, you'd be in it deeper than the oceans of Mon Cal."

"Deal." Eshaa said shaking Jaina's hand. "Now about showing me around Coronet City."


	10. Magic

**Magic**

Han Solo sat back in his chair and regarded his granddaughter curiously. It seemed utterly impossible that a child with a mixture of Solo, Skywalker, and force-knew-what genes could be more content playing with her plush Ewok than trying to dissect a droid. But it was possible, and proven in the form of a tall, skinny four-year-old sitting on the carpet in front of him, contently humming to herself and babbling to her teddy. Eshaa had been late to start talking, but now it seemed as if she never shut up.

"Kid," Han said finally, "No matter how much you talk to the Ewok, it will never reply."

Eshaa paused and looked at him sweetly with large, hazel eyes. "I know that, Grampa. You're no fun."

Han deliberated over his response. No fun? "What makes you say that, Eshaa?" he asked, leaning forwards in his chair. The little girl pushed a few strands of straight brown hair away from her face and bit her lip in a pout.

"Well, since I got here nobody's played wit' me or anything!" she confessed. "When's mommy coming back, anyways?"

Han paused, contemplating the path to take. The wrong answer could result in a violent temper tantrum, and in his experience there was no right answer when posed with this question. Putting his news-flimsy aside and fighting his way out of his chair, he pondered his answer.

"When's she gonna come back?" Eshaa asked again, hugging her teddy to her chest. Han strode across the room and scooped her into her arms.

"Want to see how a glowpanel works?" he asked, changing the subject. Eshaa nodded. "Threepio!" Han called, "Bring me two lengths of wire, a power cell, and a spare glowpanel!"

"How does a glowpanel work?" Eshaa asked, leaning to watch Threepio hobble off.

"Magic," replied Han with a trademark grin. Eshaa clapped excitedly.

"Magic?" she gasped. Han nodded.

"Yup," he said.

"And you'll teach me?" she asked eagerly.

"Yup. It's pretty simple 'magic.'"

Threepio hobbled back in carrying the supplies Han had asked for. "Master Han, I'm not sure what you are planning to do with those, but I've been told to advise you against anything dangerous. In the last four years, your reaction time has slowed point oh-one of a second and—

"Can it, Goldenrod," snapped Han, taking the electrical equipment. Eshaa giggled.

"You called him Goldenrod!" she exclaimed.

"Master Han," Threepio continued, "I'm certain that Master Jacen would be most displeased were any harm to come to young mistress Eshaa and—

"I said can it, Goldenrod," repeated Han, carrying Eshaa and the mechanical parts over to the table. He set the glowpanel, wires, and power cell down first, and then Eshaa. "So, ready to see some magic?"

"Yeah!" Eshaa chimed enthusiastically. Han picked up the power cell and a wire.

"Okay," he said. "This wire'll take electricity from this power cell to the glow panel," he explained, connecting the three components.

"It's not lighting up," Eshaa pointed out.

"Want to know why?"

"Uh-huh."

"This is a circuit," Han explained, "Well, half of one. Circuits always have to go full circle. So if we add this other length of wire and complete the circuit," he said, snapping the last length of wire into place.

Eshaa gasped. "It lights up!" she exclaimed, clapping. At that moment, the door buzzer went off and Threepio hobbled off to answer it. Eshaa looked off down the hall, eyes wide. "Mommy!" she shouted, jumping to her feet, grabbing her plush ewok, and running to the door.

Han pushed the glowpanel to the center of the table and pushed himself up, feeling his back creak. He made it to the doorway in time to see Eshaa and Nen Yim turn to leave. "Bye, Grampa!" Eshaa called, looking back and waving. Then Threepio slid the door shut. On the security monitor, he could see Eshaa animatedly describing her morning to her mother.

'No fun?' thought Han, 'I think not!'


	11. Worse

**Worse**

Nen Yim could not shake the feeling that Leia Organa-Solo held some sort of resentment towards her. Tension hung in the air like some unseen, sleeping beast. Nen Yim didn't need the force to know that. For the last half hour, she and Jacen had been sitting across a low table from his parents, drinking hot (well, now actually kind of lukewarm-to-cool) tea and eating biscuits. Biscuits! Nen Yim thought with mild amusement. Who actually ate biscuits? She'd just pretended to. Jacen hadn't been kidding when he had told her his mother's cooking should be classified as a lethal weapon.

"So, Nen Yim, what is it you do again?" Leia asked in an idle attempt at being friendly.

"I'm studying for a medical license," Nen Yim replied for what had to be the fourth time. Jacen shot her an inquisitive look and she nodded slightly. He reached over and took her hand in his.

"Mom? Dad?" Rather than lessening it, Jacen's voice seemed to stuff more tension into the room. And for a moment Nen Yim had thought that there wasn't room for anymore.

Han and Leia snapped to attention. Actually, Nen Yim mused, they looked more like they would spontaneously combust any moment.

"Alright then," Jacen continued. "We figured it was best if we told you ourselves, before the tabloids pick up the story." He paused, allowing the tension to expand enormously. Nen Yim wondered if they had all ceased breathing oxygen and started breathing one hundred percent pure tension. "Nen and I have decided to get married."

Han and Leia were oddly silent. Nen Yim shot Jacen a worried glance, but he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"That's wonderful," Leia said finally, beaming. Han nodded, cracking a grin.

"Congrats, you two."

A while later, Nen Yim and Jacen got up to leave. Han walked them to the door. "Good luck. And Jacen, don't worry about your mother. She'll come around… eventually." After they'd left, he shut the door and joined Leia back in the main room.

"Han," Leia said with complete seriousness, "Our son is engaged to a Yuuzhan Vong."

"It could be worse," Han replied.

"How?"

"He could be engaged to a politician!"


	12. The birds, the bees, and a holocam

**The Birds and the Bees, and a holocam**

Jacen sat at the table and nursed his caf. He was glaring at the opposite wall obviously thinking deeply about something. Nen Yim walked in and sat across from him.

"How was work?" He asked her still glaring at the wall behind her.

"It was well; we're working on a project to suppress the gene that makes certain species more aggressive than others." She said happily. "What did the wall do to you?"

"Oh nothing, I just realized that Eshaa will be thirteen in a couple weeks." He drank more of his caf. Working late at night meant he lived on caf and two hours of sleep and another of meditation.

"Wow, you can count past ten." Nen said joking.

"Yeah, I know." He drank more of his caf. "We need to tell her about sex."

"Oh!" Nen Yim said suddenly understanding why he was acting like this. "Don't worry about it, I will handle it."

"No, I want to do this." Jacen said standing up and pouring out his caf. "She should be back from her friends in an hour or so, just long enough for me to screw up my courage."

"Jacen, really, don't worry about it. I have it covered."

"You were the one who explained to her about why people give us strange looks and throw things." Jacen said turning back around and leaning on the sink. "I should do this one."

Nen Yim sighed. "Fine, I'll let you be bantha-headed this one time."

"Thanks, Nen." He hugged her and started what would pass for dinner.

Two hours later Jacen knocked on the wall next to Eshaa's open door. "Eshaa, can I come in for a bit?" He asked her.

"Sure." She said uncomfortably. "I was just working on my homework."

"Good." Jacen entered the room and sat on the orange bed, facing Eshaa who turned around in her chair to face him. "You're growing up now; you'll be thirteen in a few weeks."

"Yeah, so what, dad?"

"Well like I said you're growing up and you need to know certain things. And one of those is about what males and females do when they love each other a lot, and I mean a lot." He swallowed the block of sand in his throat. "Well they discuss it, or sometimes they don't, but normally they know when they're ready and they, umm..."

"Are you talking about sex, dad?" Eshaa asked raising an eyebrow; it made Jacen think of Nen Yim for some reason, even if Nen Yim had an absence of eyebrows.

"Yeah." Jacen said, now the uncomfortable one.

"Mom already told me about it. At least a year ago." Eshaa said smiling.

"She already told you?!" He asked, annoyed.

"Yup, I'm surprised she didn't tell you."

"Why did she tell you?" Jacen asked curious now.

"Well, I had gone to see Grandpa to ask about using him as a source for a history report." She smiled at this. "Threepio told me that Aunt Jaina was there so I went looking for her, because the report was on the history of the Alliance and New Republic military and I could use her as a source too." She paused for a second. "I found her in her room, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to me. She was umm..." Eshaa groped for the word to describe what her aunt was doing. "She was busy with Uncle Kyp."

Jacen's mind was torn between killing his sister, killing Kyp, or killing his daughter for putting the image in his head. "What happened?"

"They told me to get out, and later, after I had finished interviewing Grandpa, they brought me home and talked to Mom for a few minutes. Mom then told explained to me what it was they had been doing and why."

"Oh your mother is dead."

"Please don't kill her!" Eshaa said turning around and reaching onto the shelf above the datapad station. "At least wait until she gives me the fifty credits for getting a holo-vid of this." With that Eshaa jumped up and darted out of her room running for her mother.


	13. Late

**Late**

Tahiri ran through the hospital, dodging trays and doctors, nurses and orderlies. She slid sideways to go through a closing door. The white walls and soft colored doors passed by in a blur. As one of the doors opened she jumped over a hover chair, scaring the old Twi'Lek who sat in it. Other beings that saw her coming got out of the way quickly, pressing themselves against the wall. As a Mon Calamari orderly did this he accidentally pressed the locking button on a door, which Tahiri, incidentally, had to go through. Because the Mon Cal had locked it though, she ran strait into it, with a very solid sounding 'thunk'.

The blonde woman fell to the floor, and a few members of the hospital staff giggled before the Mon Calamari approached her. "Are you alright miss?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just didn't expect that door to be locked." Tahiri took his webbed hand and used it to pull herself off of the floor. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." The Mon Cal looked at her for a moment. "Do you need any help, you look confused."

"Please, which way to the maternity ward?"

"Right through this door," the Mon Cal gestured at the door Tahiri had tried to knock down with her head. "But, you're only allowed in if you are the relative or close friend of a mother."

"There isn't a problem with that; we're basically the same person." Tahiri pressed the lock button and opened the door. "Thank you for your help." With that she entered the ward and shut the door. As the door shut she heard the moans, groans, and screams of females in labor. She consulted a chart by the door to find which gurney was Nen Yim's and once found she quickly went to it.

A nurse was checking Nen Yim's vitals while talking to the soon-to-be mother and father. "Is it a boy or a girl?" The woman asked.

"A girl." Nen Yim answered smiling.

"Wonderful, can you lean up for a second?" She asked before attaching a small sensor to Nen Yim's back. "Thank you."

"Tahiri!" Nen Yim said happily stretching out her arms to hug her friend.

"I'm sorry it took so long, but we were just about to go out on a bust." Tahiri said indicating the fact she still wore her CorSec jumpsuit and blaster. "This is much more important though."

"It's alright, the doctor hasn't even arrived yet." Nen Yim said, Jacen was sitting in a chair, half asleep. "Jacen called him right after he called you."

Jacen looked up at this and his eyes shifted from right to left a few times. "Yeah, of course I did." He stood up. "Excuse me I have to go to the 'fresher." With that he quickly walked out of their sight and then broke into a run.

"I bet you he forgot to call the Doctor." Tahiri said nodding sagely.

"Of course he did. I think he's gotten maybe an hour of true sleep in the past week." Nen Yim commented calmly.

"If he doesn't I can always do it." Tahiri thought for a moment. "Of course I'm a warrior, you're the shaper."

"Don't remind me. I may contemplate suicide in a little while. For you that would be an honorable death, for me it's disgrace." Nen Yim said with a slight frown.

"Hey look, Jacen's back." Tahiri said pointing to the Jedi as he walked towards them. "Is the doctor on his way?"

"He has been for a while; I was just using the 'fresher." Jacen defended himself. "How are you feeling, Nen?"

"Fine, considering I'm about to shove a baby out of me."

"It can't be all that bad." Jacen said ignoring the looks Tahiri gave him.

"Jacen, remember I love you with all of my heart, and I would never hurt you without reason." Nen Yim said softly. "But if I kill you in labor for saying something like that, there isn't a jury in the galaxy that would convict me."

Ten minutes later, and the doctor arrived. "How are you doing, Mrs. Solo?" The green skinned Twi'Lek asked.

"Fine, I think." Nen Yim shifted uncomfortably as the doctor pulled on gloves.

"You look uncomfortable," observed the doctor.

"Just a little," Nen Yim replied, berating herself for the understatement. She now understood why Shapers were traditionally banned from childbearing.

"That's usual. Well, everything looks normal," replied the doctor. "I'll check back in an hour."


	14. Help

**Help**

"I know that by buying these holomags I'm just encouraging the people who write them," Nen Yim said with a laugh, "But they're just so amusing that I can't help myself."

"Hmm?" Jacen murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"This," Nen Yim said, holding up the holomag, "has to be the most hilarious piece of fiction that I have ever seen."

"Is it about us?" Jacen asked. Nen Yim nodded. "Let me see that," he stated. She passed him the holomag and he skimmed the article. "Well. If that isn't the oddest thing I've heard since Jaina announced that she's pregnant with Kyp's child, then I don't know what it is."

"How is Jaina, anyways? I was meaning to comm. sometime," Nen Yim said, looking fondly over at the infant carrier where Eshaa was napping. Genetics had worked in the child's favor; she had her father's skin tone and hair color, and a facial structure somewhere between the two extremes.

"She's fine," Jacen replied. "And you might not want to. Apparently Kyp's visiting again." Nen Yim grimaced.

"It has never ceased to amaze me how she can be more sexually active than a womp rat in heat in her condition. We certainly weren't like that. And wasn't she supposed to be in the outer rim for a year and a half? This is fishier by the minute. Has it ever crossed your mind she might have just done it to get re-stationed?"

"That's not the reason," Jacen said. "They had her playing desk jockey once they moved her. Jaina hates desk jobs."

"So how do you think she's going to cope?"

"If I know Jaina, that kid is going to have a heck of a childhood."

Eshaa whimpered in her sleep in opened her eyes. It was only a moment before she began to wail.

"She's got your father's lungs," Nen Yim said before Jacen could say anything snide. She got up and rushed over to Eshaa, scooping the baby into her arms and cooing in what sounded to Jacen like a cutesified version of Yuuzhan Vong. Jacen watched her as she carried Eshaa to the kitchen area and then sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. At least Eshaa was sleeping more now. The first two weeks had been hell. Happy, but hell.

"Kid's asleep," Jacen remarked, wrapping his arms around Nen Yim's waist. "Looks like she'll stay that way for a while. Anything you want to get done?"

Nen Yim tore her eyes away from the sight of her sleeping daughter and looked at Jacen. "Just a few," she said slyly.

"What might those be?" he asked.

Twisting in his arms, she kissed him. "I'll need your help, though." Jacen kissed her back.

"I'd be glad to help."


	15. Answer

**Answer**

Jacen sat on the side of Nen Yim's gurney, comforting her. "I'm guessing it hurts."

"It's like breaking into the eighth cortex, but without the needles the size of your torso." Nen Yim's skin's multiple colors glistened with her sweat. Jacen picked up a small towel and wiped it off. "And of course since you're here, I have somebody to blame."

"That all I'm good for?"

"Well, for the next few months at least." She said happily. "And of course you'll be taking care of Eshaa once she decides to get out of me."

"I don't remember that deal." Jacen said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah, it was about eight months ago. We were talking about Eshaa, and how we would raise her." Nen Yim then cursed in Yuuzhan Vong.

"Oh! I remember now." Jacen said scratching his beard. "Then the next morning you got mad at me because I had fallen asleep." He grinned. "What exactly was it we agreed on?"

"Well, you said that since I would have to deal with carrying her around in my belly for eleven months, and then actually give birth. So you said you would take care of her for the next fourteen years."

"You do realize that you can't trust anything I say that late at night, right?"

"What?" Nen Yim said looking at him with wide eyes. "So you… you don't love me?"

"Oh no! I love you, Nen, I just mean in those late night conversations. I tend to be thinking more about the sleep on missing out on, than what we're saying." He smiled. "Would I have done this to you if I didn't love you?"

"Well, considering how much it hurts." Nen Yim said grimacing. "But I know you meant well. And it was fun." Her expression changed to on of mischief.

Jacen hugged his wife close to him. "Don't worry; once Eshaa's old enough to stay at Jaina's or Tahiri's, we'll have fun again."

"I'm going to hold you to that one too!" Nen Yim said pushing Jacen away, grimacing again.

"How's she doing?" Tahiri asked approaching the two. She had gone to send a holo-transmission to Jaina.

"Better, she's realized that she can't expect me to keep any promise made late at night." Jacen said winking at his wife. "And the doctor said she'll be fine, and that Eshaa's probably going to come out in a few hours. So we'll be here for a while."

"It's a good thing I'm here to go on food runs for her then." Tahiri said joking.

"And she does not like being talked about in the third person when she's right next to you two." Nen Yim pointed out.

"You can't expect us to include you in all of our conversations." Tahiri pushed Nen Yim on her shoulder, making her lie by down. "Jaina says congratulations, and if I ever call her this early again, I will discover what it feels like to have a combat boot up my arse."

"Oh, she shouldn't be so fast to threaten." Nen Yim replied. "It's her turn in three months."

"I'm still amazed at how she got pregnant while in the Outer Rim, when Kyp was supposed to be on Coruscant helping with the reconstruction efforts." Tahiri said shaking her head. "Of course he did make that quick trip out there to help with stopping those smugglers."

"That's it, then," Jacen said conclusively. "As far as I know she hasn't got any other boy toys."

"That you know of." Tahiri pointed out. "She could have an entire planet's worth of males at her beck and call."

"Tahiri, Jacen hasn't found out about my harem of sex-slaves yet." Nen Yim said, joking. "And considering they're sneaking in and out of the flat all the time, I doubt he would be able to find out about Jaina's boy-toys from half a galaxy away."

"Hah-hah-hah." Jacen said sarcastically. "I'm not a complete idiot you know."

"Oh of course you ar-" Nen Yim's speech was cut off by a moan of pain. "Get this child out of me!" She screamed slamming her hands on the gurney.

"It will come soon enough, Nen, at least she was only a week late, instead of a month." Jacen said rubbing her shoulders softly. "It looks like it hurts."

"No, you think?" Nen Yim demanded, glaring at Jacen. "And my friends and I used to wonder why shapers aren't allowed to bear children."


	16. Bullies

**Bullies**

Eshaa was most definitely not happy, Jacen thought. She was sitting on the front steps of her school, looking down when he arrived to pick her up. "Hey, kiddo," he said, nudging her foot. "How was school?"

"Horrible," she replied fiercely, standing up. "I'm never going back."

Jacen gave the seven-year-old a deploring look. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Eshaa shook her head. "It worse than bad, Dad. It was awful." She began to walk briskly across the schoolyard and Jacen hurried to keep up with her.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly.

Eshaa stopped and looked at him. She'd been crying, Jacen noticed. "Everyone hates me!" she exclaimed.

"What happened? Last week you were so excited about second grade," Jacen said, trying to reason.

"Well I'm not excited about it anymore," she replied. "Everybody hates me."

"Everyone can't possibly hate you," he said, giving her a long look, which Eshaa returned, looking particularly spiteful.

"They called me a 'dirty scarhead,'" she said finally. "Dad, what's that mean?"

Jacen was dumbstruck for a moment as he wondered where Eshaa's classmates had learned that word.

"Well?" Eshaa demanded. "What's it mean?"

Jacen sighed, wondering how to explain prejudice to a second grader. He searched for words as they passed the schoolyard gates and started walking home. "'Scarhead' is a mean word for Yuuzhan Vong." Jacen said thinking for a few seconds. "It was used during the war by soldiers and civilians who didn't like the Yuuzhan Vong. It's almost as bad as calling a Yuuzhan Vong a Vong. Who called you that?"

"Mikol and Jerret," Eshaa replied.

"That's hardly everyone," Jacen told her. Eshaa looked indifferent. "We'll sort this out later. Now let's hurry home – Aunt Jaina and Zeth coming for dinner." That cheered Eshaa up a little.

"And Uncle Kyp?" she asked.

"I think so."

Jacen arrived about ten minutes before school got out the next day, while Eshaa's class was enjoying recess. He waited on the street side of the fence, waiting for the bell to ring, when he spotted his daughter arguing with two boys.

For the rest of his life, Jacen would wonder where a seven-year-old had learned a perfect drop-kick.


	17. She's Here

**She's Here**

"She's ready." Nen Yim told Jacen.

"Finally." Jacen said standing up. "I'll go get the doctor." As he walked away Nen Yim barely missed hitting his back.

"Is she ready?" The Doctor asked, he was by the main door to the ward drinking a cup of caf.

"Very." Jacen said, leading the way back to Nen Yim.

Nen Yim had been repositioned, to make the birthing easier. At the same time the various pieces of equipment had been prepared and were set up around the gurney. The doctor began to examine Nen Yim.

"Wow, you really are ready." He looked at the nurse who was preparing a shot of medication. "No, drugs, right?"

"Never!" Nen Yim said, offended by the idea. "I'm a Yuuzhan Vong, even if I did marry a human." She winked at Jacen.

"No, you can't come in!" A voice yelled, coming from the main entrance to the ward. They heard shouts and then a slam. The curtains that had been put up for privacy prevented them from seeing what the commotion was about.

"I'll see what's going on." Tahiri volunteered, ducking through the curtains. She quickly made her way to wear an orderly, the same one that had helped her, stood against the door holding it shut. "What's happening?"

"There are reporters trying to get in to see Nen Yim Solo give birth." The Mon Cal jumped as something heavy hit the door. "And a few who wish to kill her and her child."

"I'll deal with it." Tahiri said pulling the Mon Cal away from the door. "When I go outside, shut the door again."

As she slipped outside at least a hundred holo-cams were shoved into her face. "Back off, or I break the kriffing cameras!" She yelled shoving them away. "Now this is a private moment for Nen Yim and Jacen, do not intrude on it! Please I ask of you to leave." As she said this it seemed as if the crowd became even larger. One of the reporters shoved a recording device towards her, asking a question. She detached the lightsaber from her belt and ignited it. "Now, you can leave now, or I introduce you to what it feels like when something bright and shiny burns through your skin."

The people nearest the rear began exiting, even more trying to rush them out. It left about two dozen beings, Tahiri deactivated her lightsaber. "Tahiri!" One of the remaining beings yelled pushing through the crowd. "Finally, I was wondering what was going on." It was Han and Leia. "Can we go inside?" He asked.

"I don't know, even if we do, we would have to stay towards the door to not be in the way." Tahiri said looking at the remaining beings. They milled about; a few of them had what looked like blasters shoved in their waist-bands and pockets.

"You noticed?" Leia said, speaking for the first time.

"Of course, come on, we can go into the ward and com security." Tahiri said trying to open the door, but the Mon Calamari orderly was still in the way. "They're gone!" She yelled through the door.

"I don't believe you!" He yelled in response.

"Don't make me cut through the door with my lightsaber!" Tahiri yelled.

"I'm still not going to let you in!"

"Let me in there so I can see my first sithing grandchild be born, or I'll shoot through the door!" Han threatened slamming his fist into the door. There was a click, the door locked.

"And here I thought he was nice." Tahiri said shaking her head. "Well we might as well wait." Han and Leia both took seats. Tahiri sat next to them. "I wonder how long it will take."

"A few hours, unless Yuuzhan Vong take less time to give birth." Leia answered

"Well, I'm going to go tell Jaina Nen Yim went into labor." With that she got up and asked the nurse at the station where the closets com-terminal was. Tahiri took the turbo-lift the two levels up and placed the call. It took almost an hour for it to go through, and then Jaina took a while to finally accept the chargers and start it.

"Tahiri, what did I tell you about calling me this early?"

"Sorry, but I just wanted to tell you that Nen Yim finally went into labor."

"You couldn't have waited until later, maybe after Eshaa was actually born?"

"Well, Nen Yim also wanted me to remind you that it's your turn in three months." Tahiri said winking at Jaina. "And if you don't want people finding out about Kyp being the father, you may not want to wear his shirts."

"That's low, Tahiri, even for you."

"No it's not, if I had pointed out that I can see him hiding behind the bed, now that would be low." Since it wasn't a holo-transmission Tahiri could in fact see Jaina and everything behind Jaina, including Kyp who was trying to hide, but had forgotten about the mirror that reflected everything in the room.

"Tahiri!" Jaina said, surprised that the blonde Jedi-turned-Yuuzhan Vong had noticed him.

"Oh don't worry, I won't tell anybody. Now I'm going to go and keep your parents company. I'll contact you once Eshaa's actually been born." Tahiri waved good-bye.

"Make sure when you com back that it's light out." Jaina said before shutting down her own side of the transmission.

Tahiri stood up and made her way back to where Han and Leia were waiting. Leia had fallen asleep her head lying on Han's shoulder. "You two hungry?" Tahiri asked approaching them.

"I am, but I'm not sure about the Princess, but I am." Han said as Leia lifted her head.

"What about me?" Leia asked, looking between her husband and almost-daughter.

"I was wondering if you two were hungry." Tahiri explained. "Because if you are, we can go down to the cafeteria and get food."

"I'm not very hungry," Leia said stretching slightly, "so I'll stay here incase there's any news."

"Do you want us to bring you back anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Leia assured them.

Tahiri and Han returned an hour later to find no change in the situation. The orderly still wouldn't let them in, and Eshaa still wasn't born. They sat down and found various things to entertain themselves. Eventually Han and Leia bored of sitting went for a walk around the hospital. Tahiri glanced up at the chrono on the wall, over six hours she had been waiting. Longer than it took Master Luke and Han to blow up the Death Star, get their awards, and get drunk. She stood up and began pacing, then realized how that Jacen should be the one pacing.

She approached the door and softly opened it…

Jacen was trying not to think about his hand. He couldn't feel it anymore, anyways. And besides, he thought, if Nen Yim could deal with what she was going through, he could deal with her squeezing the bones in his hand into a pulp. There were little white half-moons pressed into his flesh by Nen Yim's grip. She was oddly quiet, her teeth gritted tightly together. Nodding slightly to his hand, she intoned, "You must… suffer… too."

With his free hand, Jacen gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "It'll be over soon."

Nen Yim didn't reply, but gritted her teeth some more and exhaled slowly, letting her jaw go slack. Jacen grabbed a cloth off the bedside table and wiped it across her forehead. Following a sharp intake of breath, Nen Yim resumed following the doctor's orders to push.

Jacen didn't know how much longer the bones in his hand could stand up to the abuse Nen Yim was inflicting on them.

"Almost," the doctor called. Nen Yim inhaled sharply again and dug her fingernails into Jacen's skin, hard enough to draw blood. And then, slowly, she lessened her grip and finally let go altogether. Jacen, rubbing it with his other hand, was alarmed to find it was quickly turning a brilliant shade of purple. But despite the pain and bruising in his digits, the fact that he could hear the wails of an infant made it one of the happiest moments of his life.

"Congratulations," said the doctor, rubbing the newborn with a warm, hospital-issued towel. "You've got a healthy little girl."

It wasn't until later, seated in a folding chair pulled up as close to Nen Yim's bed as physically possible, that Jacen realized how lucky Eshaa had gotten. There were all sorts of wacky genetic things (he didn't fully comprehend them, but he knew they existed) that could have gone wrong, and somehow…

"Ten fingers, ten toes, and two eyes. Nen, she's perfect," Jacen said softly. Nen Yim looked down adoringly at the child in her arms and agreed. "She looks like you," commented Jacen.

Nen Yim ran a gentle finger across the ridges of Eshaa's nose. There were four, hardly noticeable except for the fact that you could feel them in the bone just beneath her soft skin. "I think…" she said, trailing off. "I think she looks a little like your mother."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Jacen asked.

"Well, perhaps it's just her hair," Nen Yim explained. "It's brown."

And Jacen had to admit that Eshaa's hair was, most definitely and undeniably, almost the exact same color as his own. "But her eyes will be like yours,"

There was a knock on the door. A moment later it opened and Tahiri poked her head in. She opened her mouth to say something but Jacen held a finger to his lips in the universal gesture for "quiet." Tahiri shut her mouth and hurried over.

"She's beautiful!" she whispered giddily, looking over Jacen's shoulder. "Your parents went for a walk- should I go get them?"

Jacen shook his head. "Not yet. Besides, they'll get here soon enough. I can sense it."

"Speaking of which," said Tahiri, "Has she got…?"

"Yeah, she does," Jacen replied happily, reaching a finger down towards Eshaa. She managed to work a fist out of her blanket and wrapped four tiny fingers and a thumb around it.

"Can I hold her?" Tahiri asked.

Nen Yim looked defensive. "No," she answered.

"All right," Tahiri said, looking a little downcast. "Hey, got any interesting stories to tell?"

Nen Yim cracked a smile. "I'm sure Jacen can tell you all about what I did to his hand."

"As long as I live, I will never forget," Jacen replied. Eshaa finally decided to let go of his finger and Tahiri and Nen Yim set about amusing themselves cooing at her. Eshaa must have thought them quite boring because she was asleep in less than a minute.

After a while there was another knock on the door. It slid open and Han and Leia entered, Han carrying a plush Ewok.

"They finally let us in," he explained apologetically. Jacen held a finger to his lips.

"She's asleep," he whispered. Han and Leia moved closer. As if on cue, Eshaa opened her eyes and yawned.

"Our first grandkid," Han said fondly to Leia. He held up the Ewok. "Er, we bought her this while we were out." He handed the plush toy to Nen Yim, who held it above Eshaa, who looked utterly enthralled as she reached a tiny hand forward to grab hold of the toy's fur.

"Dad, that thing's bigger than she is," Jacen remarked dryly.

"Oh, don't worry. That'll all be changing in the next few months," Leia said in warning. "And she'll be all grown up a few years after that.

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Jacen said. And everyone laughed.


End file.
